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Breaking News: U.S. enters war against Iran using B2 bombers with GBU bombs and submarine Tomahawk missiles.
According to information published by the American TV News channel CNN on June 22, 2025, the United States formally entered the war against Iran, joining Israeli operations with a massive precision strike targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure. The coordinated attack involved six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropping GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on the Fordow and Natanz enrichment sites, while the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729) launched thirty Tomahawk cruise missiles against additional targets including Isfahan. This marked the first combat use of the GBU-57 and a major escalation in U.S. military engagement in the Middle East.
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A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber in flight. This long-range strategic bomber was used in the June 22, 2025, strike against Iranian nuclear sites, where six B-2s delivered GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs to target deeply buried facilities at Fordow and Natanz as part of the United States’ first direct military action in the conflict alongside Israel. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)
The primary U.S. strike force consisted of six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, each departing from strategic bases under heavy operational security. These bombers delivered twelve GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP) to the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, a facility buried beneath approximately 80 to 100 metres of rock and reinforced concrete. A seventh B-2 targeted the Natanz complex with an additional two MOPs. The GBU-57 is the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. inventory, weighing nearly 13,600 kilograms (30,000 pounds). It features a thick steel casing and advanced fuzing designed to detonate after burrowing deep into hardened structures. Guided by a combination of GPS and inertial navigation systems, the MOP can strike with a circular error probable (CEP) of less than 5 metres, delivering an immense kinetic and explosive impact capable of destroying heavily fortified underground facilities.
The B-2 Spirit, which remains the only operational platform capable of carrying the GBU-57, is a long-range, low-observable bomber designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defences. With a wingspan of 52.4 metres (172 feet) and a maximum takeoff weight of over 170,000 kilograms (approximately 376,000 pounds), it is powered by four General Electric F118-GE-100 engines and features radar-absorbent materials and a flying-wing design that minimizes its radar cross-section. Its combat radius exceeds 5,600 kilometres (3,500 miles) without refuelling, extended further with aerial tankers such as the KC-135 and KC-46A Pegasus that accompanied the strike group.
Simultaneously, U.S. Navy nuclear-powered guided missile submarines launched thirty BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) from undisclosed locations likely in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. It has now been confirmed that the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729) was the platform responsible for firing these missiles, targeting the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear complexes. The USS Georgia, one of four converted Ohio-class submarines, is specifically configured for conventional strike missions and special operations support. Originally designed as part of the U.S. strategic deterrent fleet to carry Trident II D5 nuclear ballistic missiles, the USS Georgia and three sister ships, USS Ohio, USS Michigan, and USS Florida, were converted in the early 2000s into guided-missile submarines (SSGN) under the Strategic Capabilities Modernization initiative.
Each SSGN conversion involved the removal of nuclear missile tubes to install vertical launch systems (VLS) capable of deploying up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Ohio-class SSGNs measure approximately 170.7 metres (560 feet) in length, displace over 18,000 tonnes submerged, and are powered by one S8G pressurized water reactor that enables virtually unlimited underwater endurance. With a crew of about 160, including a contingent for special operations forces, these submarines also feature command-and-control facilities and a dry-deck shelter for deploying SEAL teams and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). Their low acoustic signature makes them among the stealthiest vessels in the U.S. fleet, capable of approaching enemy coastlines undetected and executing precision strikes.
Each Tomahawk fired from the USS Georgia weighs approximately 1,600 kilograms (3,500 pounds), measures 5.56 metres (18.25 feet) in length, and has a range exceeding 1,500 kilometres (930 miles). The missiles are equipped with a 450-kilogram (1,000-pound) unitary warhead and navigate using GPS, inertial navigation, terrain contour mapping, and digital scene-matching. Their ability to fly at low altitude and make complex course corrections en route makes them ideal for striking high-value fixed targets like Iran's underground nuclear infrastructure.
In support of the air assault, additional U.S. assets likely included EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, which would have conducted suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) operations by jamming Iranian radar and communications systems. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, such as RQ-4 Global Hawk drones and RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft, would have provided real-time targeting data and post-strike battle damage assessment.
President Trump justified the decision as a necessary act to “obliterate” Iran’s capability to produce nuclear weapons, following what he described as a two-week ultimatum that was ultimately ignored by Tehran. He stated the objective was to achieve a decisive and irreversible degradation of Iran’s uranium enrichment program, which the White House claimed had reached weapons-grade activity. Trump also warned of further military action should Iran retaliate.
This operation represents the first confirmed combat deployment of the GBU-57 and the most significant use of Tomahawks in a single salvo since the early 2000s. It demonstrates the U.S. capacity to execute global precision strikes using multi-domain forces—air, sea, and electronic—against hardened and strategically vital infrastructure. While the full damage assessment is ongoing, early satellite imagery and ISR reports suggest major structural compromise at Fordow and Natanz, though the extent to which underground centrifuges have been destroyed remains unverified.
The use of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, and electronic warfare platforms marks a strategic leap in the U.S. commitment to the Israeli-led campaign against Iran. With tensions rapidly escalating, analysts warn of potential Iranian retaliation through proxy forces, cyber operations, or missile attacks on U.S. and allied assets in the region, raising the risk of a broader regional conflict.